Werewolf: The Beast Among Us is a direct-to-video werewolf film released by Universal Pictures on October 2012. Originally planned as the first installment of a werewolf film franchise themed around The Wolfman, the film stars Nia Peeples, Guy Wilson, Ed Quinn, Ana Ularu, Steven Bauer, and Rachel Di Pillo.
The film focuses on a group of werewolf hunters in the 19th century, summoned to a village to investigate the attacks of a new type of werewolf; rather than only transform on a full moon, the werewolf transforms three nights in a row. A young medical student named Daniel becomes impressed by the werewolf hunters and seeks to become the protégé of their leader Charles. While hunting, they discover this particular werewolf is as intelligent as a human and not a mindless animal they usually are. On the romantic side of the story, Daniel is in a relationship with a rich girl named Eva, who doesn't want him to be hunting werewolves, and gets into a love triangle with a hunter named Stefan.
The film was shot in Romania, and some scenes were shot in Bethlen Castle with a budget of five million dollars.
This film has examples of:
- Big Bad Ensemble: Doc and Stefan, the former being the mastermind behind the werewolf attacks and the latter being a rival of Daniel's who happens to be a vampire and plans on killing Daniel.
- Big Damn Heroes: Charles shooting Doc in the back in the climax.
- Big Damn Kiss: Daniel and Eva share one at the end of the film.
- Burn the Witch!: Stefan tries to get Daniel to transform in front of the village, in hopes it will result in this.
- Fur Against Fang: Stefan and Daniel, the former being a vampire and the latter being a werewolf.
- Knight Templar: Doc despises anyone he considers to be a lowlife so much that he uses Daniel's condition to have him wipe them out.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Doc shoots Charles in the back during The Reveal; in the climax, Charles returns the favor.
- The Man Behind the Man: The Heavy of the film is the werewolf behind all of the attacks and kills but its identity is revealed to be Daniel, who is unaware of his condition and is being used by Doc to push his elitist agenda.
- Murder the Hypotenuse: The fact Daniel is a werewolf comes off as and excuse for Stefan to do this.
- Not Quite Dead: Charles, after seemingly getting killed by Doc.
- Our Werewolves Are Different: In-Universe, this is a different kind of werewolf than the hunters are used to, because of its high intelligence, and the fact that it can transform three nights in a row.
- Our Vampires Are Different: Stefan is a vampire but is capable of walking out in the sunlight.
- The Reveal: Two of them.
- That Daniel is the werewolf and under Doc's control.
- That Stefan is a vampire.
- The Sociopath: Doc, who's been training Werewolf!Daniel to kill people.
- Tomato in the Mirror: Much to his own horror, Daniel discovers he is the werewolf.
